"We were all thankful to be alive," said veteran Nate Watson, a veteran of Desert Storm and Somalia.

He described a day when a missile was heading for his ship.

"I was just thinking about my family and just wishing I could say goodbye one more time," Watson said. "I was thinking I was a goner."

He said when he got home, things were tough.

"I got married for the first time and my wife passed away. (I) remarried and my second wife passed away," Watson said.

As a single father of four children, Watson said he really needed a set of wheels. Two of Watson's sons have disabilities and one uses a wheelchair. Watson received a van that will help getting his children to much-needed medical appointments.

The group Cars 4 Heroes gave away eight vehicles on Thursday, changing lives for people like Watson. To shift the event into high gear, NASCAR driver Martin Truex took part.

He said he knows how important it is to have a reliable set of wheels.

"We love cars. We race cars for a living and we've got to help cars, too," Truex said.